


Waking the Dragon

by TheDragonsKnight



Series: FFXIV Write 2019 [8]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Spoilers, Other, Patch 3.0: Heavensward Spoilers, Patch 3.1: Heavensward Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-13 23:43:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20591087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDragonsKnight/pseuds/TheDragonsKnight
Summary: A continuation of Prompt #3, and looking again to when Katsum fought with Raihogg to bring him back from losing himself to his own grief.





	Waking the Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> Written for prompt #9 for the FFXIV Write 2019

“Do you hear me? It’s time to wake up now, Raihogg.”

At the sound of his true name, the dragon’s eyes flared darkly, somehow turning blacker as he reared back his head and raised his wings and let out an ear-piercing roar that made Katsum wince. The sheer force of his voice pushed her backward, sending her back to where Alphinaud and Aymeric were standing in front of Hraesvelgr. They too seemed to be struggling to keep their footing, even at this distance. The great white wyrm snarled and roared in response, counteracting the younger Dravanian’s voice.

_“Dear child of Ratatoskr, how lost thou art. You hath even made thine own name and instrument of thine rage.”_ He mused, lowering his head low over the three children of man before him, looking to meet Katusm’s gaze, _“Though thine strength is great, thou shall find no victory in waging war with him.”_

Katsum sighed and nodded, “Yes, I saw.”

“You saw…?” Ser Aymeric began to ask, but then paused, “The Echo…?”

Katsum nodded, “It is how I learned his name. I saw the past, the peace between man and dragon, the matriarch of my kingdom, everything…And I also saw him fight Nidhogg.”

“You saw him fight Nidhogg!?” Alphinaud sputtered, his gaze taking on a more frightened air.

“Yes, which is why I know fighting him isn’t going to wake him.”

“Then what will?” Both eleven looked at her strangely when she pulled off her cape and coronet, dropping them beside her as she knelt down and tightened her greaves, her eyes trained on the red dragon ahead of them.

“What are you doing?” Alphinaud asked frantically.

She stands to her feet again as she tightens her gauntlets and answers, “You won’t like what I say.”

Aymeric takes a step towards her, “What do you mean by that?”

Katsum took a deep breath and turned to them, looking between Alphinaud, Aymeric and Hraesvelgr, “I don’t have time to hesitate, and we don’t have many options left.”

“Katsum, what are you going to do!?” Alphinaud shouts.

“Lady Katsum,” Aymeric commands, his stance a bit more open as if he was catching on.

The Miqo’te woman takes a deep breath, “Do you trust me?”

The two Elezen look at her strangely, Alphinaud with a child-like look of shock and Aymeric with a more skeptical expression.

“O-of course, but what…?”

“Then don’t stop me.” She looked straight at Aymeric when she said this, knowing he was figuring it out. After she had jumped off of the top of the Vault after the young girl was tossed over it by the True Brother, she was sure that he was figuring it out.

“Katsum…” His eyes pleaded, and for a moment, she almost hesitated.

“Just trust me…please. This is my only chance to save him,” she pleaded back, her emotions shown in her eyes alone, just as his were; his gaze narrowed in response, yet he said nothing. She had one chance to do this, and she had to do it now. No more hesitating.

She took a deep breath, turning to look at the red dragon out of the corner of her eye, “(A dragon’s heart is found in flight)…(when all he has is the sky and his wings)…” She knew only Hraesvelgr understood, and that was the point. She looked back at them and nodded, seeing Aymeric take a slow step towards her and Alphinuad look between them curiously. One chance…

With a final breath, she spun on her heel and started running, her eyes set on her target and setting a course straight for it. Behind her, she heard Aymeric lunge forward to grab her, felt his fingers just brush through her hair, but he missed. She could only imagine the terror he felt again, watching her slip through his fingers again and taking a dive that could mean losing her life again. Yet even so as she blinked away the tears, she kept her gaze locked with the darkened eyes of the lost Dravanian, seeing him rear back his body again like he was preparing to attack. Hraesvelgr’s roar from behind her caused the red dragon to falter and shift his attention, giving Katsum the window she needed. Her breathing was heavy, and she felt her heart shake. The world seemed to slow as she drew nearer to the dragon’s side. His most frequent memories were those of when he and Bridgette flew together as one. If anything would help him remember, it would be flying, yet in the state of how it was now, it would not be a peaceful flight.

As she ran, she prayed, _Heaven, help me wake him. Savior, give me strength…_

Katsum leaped into the air, reaching up and grabbing onto the dragon’s neck and pulling herself up. Raihogg hissed and chased her with his teeth, but she pulled at his horns, turning his head away and knocking him slightly off-balance where he took a step back to regain his footing. He tried to turn and grab her again, and again, she made him back up closer and closer to the edge as he tried to shake her off. As Katsum fought with him, her eyes turned to Aymeric and Alphinaud again, seeing that Alphinaud had finally figured it out and screamed for her to stop and Aymeric had to reach out and hold him back. The sadness in Aymeric’s eyes broke her heart, and it made it worse when he nodded to her. Even as he could not stop her and as he feared for her, he still believed in her…

_Help me to come back from this…for I have a most loving heart that I must return to…._

With one final movement, Katsum wretched back his head, and Raihogg reared back, falling backward over the edge of the platform, falling into the mercy of the open air.

The only way to tame a dragon is to ride it…and the only way to wake this dragon…was to remind him who he was.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 8 was an extra credit day for making your own prompt and I took it as a rest day instead lol, so that is why there is no #8 X3


End file.
